To Fulfill a Prophecy
by royalrift
Summary: Terra and Ven knew that Aqua was not acting like herself. But when Heartless suddenly appear in Radiant Garden and Aqua vanishes, Terra finds himself in a plot that will bring him and the blue haired woman much closer. Terra/Aqua Terraqua
1. Home

This story was written as practice in order to get back into the groove of writing. I recently finished the Kingdom Hearts series and fell in love with these two characters. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Summer was just beginning to settle in Radiant Garden. Sea salt ice cream sales were booming, Heartless and Nobodies were nowhere to be found, and life overall was just worth living. Terra could not have thought of a better place to settle with Ven and Aqua. The house they were living in was their castle, or at least that was what Ven liked to call it. Terra could agree in a heartbeat that getting to share a small home with his two best friends was like paradise.

Or, at least, it was supposed to be.

It had been six weeks since Aqua's behavior had changed. Terra had counted the days. She hardly ate and would not spar with him and Ven like she used to. She rarely even left her room. There had been attempts on both the young men's parts to figure out what was wrong with her, but she would just act as if she had no issue at all. Pinpointing her ailment was something that had eluded Terra since the problem first started because it was so inconsistent. She could be fine one day and not the next. Even her eyes did not have the same look they used to. Before, Terra would have said they reminded him of the ocean on a vacation worthy day. He would gladly take an offer to get lost in them.

"Terra! The Bacon!"

Both Ven's voice and the aroma of burning meat snapped Terra out of his thoughts. He had been lost in a daydream about that ocean and forgot that he was cooking his and Ven's breakfast. Thinking quickly, he took the bacon off the stove and grabbed three plates, putting some meat on each one. Ven frowned as his older friend set the third plate down.

"Aqua usually would die for bacon," Ven said, grabbing a piece of it from his plate. His gaze went to the stairs that led to their bedrooms. "Do you think she's gonna skip out on training again today?"

Terra's eyes looked to the steps, then to Aqua's spot at their table. He knew she would come for the food later. He and Ven would often come back from training to find the plate he would set for her empty. At least she was eating; it was the company she was avoiding. He gave Ven a small nod.

"I'll try asking her if she's coming today, but I have the feeling we both know the answer." Terra rose and put his plate in the sink.

"I wonder if I should change my approach this time," he thought as he went up the stairs. He thought of a few methods that were different than his usual way of asking, but cleared them all out of his head. None of them were good enough. He sighed as his foot hit the top step. He wanted to see her, to spend actual time with her instead of ask just a quick yes or no question. Sometimes getting to ask if she would come down was his one time he would get to even be near her that day. He never felt like those short visits were enough. He missed being around her, to watch her movements as she sparred, to see her intense focus as she read countless books, to having to catch her as she dozed off if they stayed up too late.

He missed his Aqua.

Terra gulped as that idea crossed his mind. Sure, they were best friends, but he had hoped that, someday, she could be more to him than that. He waited patiently for her, wondering when she would catch on about how he felt about her. She, however, seemed oblivious.

"Maybe if I told her, she would… no, now's not the time," he thought as he knocked on the door. A sound from behind the door made his heart sink. It was an ugly sound that Terra could not quite put his finger on what it was. After it stopped, there was silence for a minute before Aqua cracked the door open.

"Hey, it's Terra," he made his voice softer. "Can I come in?"

Aqua opened the door a little wider, revealing her face. She was devoid of color. Her eyes seemed to have a layer of fog over the oceanic blue.

"What is it?" she mumbled.

"Well," Terra scratched his nose as an unpleasant aroma from inside the room hit him. "I was going to ask if you were feeling up to training, but I guess not. Did you just throw up? Can I get you something?"

"I'm fine, you guys go ahead," Aqua went to shut the door, but Terra caught it with his hand.

"Please, Aqua, you're obviously not fine. Ven and I are worried about you. Tell me what's going on."

Aqua stared at the floor.

"I can't stand to see you like this," Terra went to reach for her with his free hand, but felt an ache in his stomach as Aqua lightly pulled back. She started to look up at him, but then averted his gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she started to weakly pull the door from Terra's grip. He did not fight her as it closed. A sigh escaped Terra as he leaned on the wall. He whispered her name, rubbing his face with his hands.

When he looked up, he saw a picture of himself with Aqua and Ven on the wall down the hall. It was of the day they had first moved into their house. A smile crept onto Terra's face as he took a closer look at it. Aqua's smile in the photograph was so big and toothy, one could have mistaken it for Ven's. He looked back to her door. He wondered what could have caused that happiness to disappear from her and hoped she would smile like in the picture again someday.

Seeing Ven in the picture reminded Terra that the boy was probably waiting for him. He went down the steps, his Keyblade appearing in his hand. Ven's smile appeared, but then shrank when Terra came outside alone.

"Still not again today?" the blond asked. Terra shook his head. His eyes went up to Aqua's bedroom window. He though he saw her behind the curtains.

"Do you still want to train today?" Ven poked Terra's shoulder. "Maybe if we give Aqua a good performance, she'll want to join us."

Terra doubted that, remembering that she was sick, but figured he needed a distraction so he could have a clear head on how to help her. He turned to his friend and smiled.

"You're on."


	2. Appearance

A shorter chapter this time, but important nonetheless.

Chapter 2

Aqua was biting at her thumbnail as she watched Ven and Terra launch themselves at each other from her bedroom window. Her hand was all but jittering. She wanted so badly to join them; she could almost feel her Keyblade in her grasp. She curled her fingers. The unnecessary fight would do her more harm than good. She briefly wondered if her friends could see her.

"Of course they can," she said aloud. "Terra looked right at me."

Her heart fluttered lightly as she watched Terra take a swing at Ven. The matches she had with her friends always made her race with excitement, but there was just something about when Terra fought that could make her almost lightheaded. She pressed her palms against the glass. Was it the way he put his entire being into each lunge? Or was it his firm gaze that he always had to never let his opponent out of sight? Could it be the fire in those same eyes that ignites when she is his competition? Aqua was so unsure.

A low growl came from Aqua's stomach. She wrapped her arms around her middle. The smell of food from downstairs called her name, but she knew it would just come back up if she tried eating. She focused her attention to the bag that sat on her bed behind her. It laid half packed with its zipper mouth agape, seeming to be begging for Aqua to finish packing it. She went over to it, zipped it up, and tossed it in her closet, knowing that it would not stay there for long. It was day 42, after all.

Aqua suddenly started coughing. She could feel something rising in her throat with each heave. It launched into her mouth with one final hack. She went to spit it out in her bathroom sink. It was another glob of some unknown black substance. She sighed and rinsed out her mouth, letting the grossness wash down the drain.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard outside their residence, Terra and Ven stood several yards apart from each other, lightly panting from their combat. Ven wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Tired yet?" the blond called.

"You wish!" Terra responded. They both dashed from their spots like kids in a race, but were not even close to each other when they came to a skidding halt.

In between them, swirling like a whirlpool, was a patch of darkness the size of a couch.

" Terra!" Ven cried out.

Before Terra could think of what to say, creatures with bright yellow eyes began to arise from the cursed spot.

"Heartless! Ven, don't let them get away!" Terra commanded. Ven, though his face said confusion, nodded. Keyblades poised, the two young men rushed themselves at the monsters. Terra did not flinch as his weapon ripped through the enemies. He could see his friend too cutting through the villains like butter with his backhand swings, obviously holding his own despite his initial disorientation. They made fools out of the heartless as they took care of them one by one. Though they were not a struggle to defeat, Terra was thankful there were not that many of them.

However, his relief was dashed as quickly as it came.

"Aqua! Ven, go look to make sure there aren't any more, I need to check on Aqua!" Terra took off for inside the house before even noticing if Ven had even heard him. He burst through the door and sighed in relief. Aqua was standing at the table, her eyes no longer on the plate of uneaten bacon in her hands.

"At least you're okay," Terra stepped inside. "But I'm afraid I have bad news. Heartless have appeared in Radiant Garden."

Aqua dropped her plate, letting it shatter on the floor.


	3. Meeting and Disappearance

This chapter was quite different in the first draft. Not only was it originally two separate chapters, I changed how some of the events went down. This is my preferred edit. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Now that Heartless had appeared, all that was left was to inform everyone. While Terra made the call, Aqua was sitting on the couch, twiddling her thumbs, and Ven was sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of the couch despite the empty chairs.

"Okay, I just got off the phone with Mickey," Terra said as he entered the room. "You didn't see any other Heartless, Ven?"

"None," Ven answered from below. "I even asked around, but those were it."

"That's good. Mickey wants to meet up with us and everyone else at Master Yen Sid's as soon as possible. You two ready?"

Ven nodded, but Terra thought he was Aqua wince.

"I, uh, have something I need to take care of first," she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Terra cocked his eyebrow.

"What could be more important than a Heartless threat?" Ven asked.

"It's very important, Ven," Aqua placed her hand on his shoulder. She looked up at Terra. "I'll catch up with you guys, meet you there later?"

Uncertainty found its way into Terra's mind. He knew Ven was right, and it was unlike her to turn away from the threat of darkness. Wondering if her strangeness was linked to her illness, he opened his mouth to speak, but Aqua beat him to it.

"Good, I'll be back," she got up and rushed around the corner to go upstairs. The two left behind looked at each other.

"Should we believe her?" Ven asked. Terra thought for a minute, then nodded.

"She wasn't feeling well earlier. Maybe she just wants to rest up so she can help us. We'll come back for her if we need to after the meeting and fill her in."

"She's sick?" Ven's arms flailed like an inflatable. "Is that why she's being so weird?"

"Maybe," Terra looked up at the ceiling, unsure of his answer himself. He motioned toward the door. "C'mon, they'll be waiting."

Terra was glad that the trip to Yen Sid's tower was a quick one. Keyblade travel did not often go as fast as he would have liked. His mind wandered back to Aqua as they flew. While he had to trust that she would meet them like she said she would and had assured Ven that that was the truth, Terra had to wonder if she really meant it. She had hardly left her own room, much less the world where they were living, in quite some time. He hoped no more Heartless decided to visit Radiant Garden.

As the two Keyblade wielders removed their armor when they set foot on land, Terra noticed a Gummy Ship parked on the edge of the platform.

"Are we last?" Ven crossed his arms. "Geez, everybody's fast!"

Terra chuckled. He looked up to the orange sky. No Aqua yet. Internally sighing, he opened the over-sized doors to the tower. Voices Terra recognized echoed down to his ears as he and Ven made their way up the staircase. Terra, with his longer legs, made it up first. The room was filled with people he knew. Sora was on one side laughing with Donald and Goofy. Kairi, Riku, and Lea were in a different corner admiring the details on the girl's Keyblade. Finally, Mickey was chatting with Yen Sid. That conversation ended when Terra entered the room.

"Glad you're here, Terra," Mickey's permanently cheerful voice said. The room quieted down when he spoke. "Where's Ven and Aqua?"

"I'm here!" Ven's voice resonated from the stairwell.

"Aqua wasn't feeling well, she said she'd be along later," Terra explained.

"In that case, we shall begin and can help Aqua catch up when she arrives," Yen Sid said as Ven entered the room and stood beside Terra. "Now, for the matter at hand… the Heartless have appeared in Radiant Garden."

"But why just there?" Sora interrupted. "We didn't see any in Destiny Islands."

"Or Disney Castle," continued Goofy.

"Yes, I am curious about that as well," Yen Sid folded his arms. "This means that the Keyhole has opened. This is of great concern. We need to ask how this has happened and what is stopping other worlds from following suit?" He uncrossed his arms. "Were there many Heartless in Radiant Garden?"

"No, not a lot," Ven answered. "Only a dozen or so attacked me and Terra, and after that we never found any more."

Terra's eyes went to the door. Still no Aqua.

Mickey suddenly yelped. His pocket was flashing. Reaching into it, the king answered the phone.

"Your majesty!" it was one of the chipmunks' voices.

"There's Heartless here!" said the other.

"You gotta help us!"

"Heartless? I'm on it!" and before anyone could stop him, Sora dashed out the door with Donald and Goofy following close behind, calling for the boy to wait for them. Terra was surprised that Mickey merely told the panicked rodents that Sora was coming and hung up.

"Sora can handle it, while I try to figure out how to prevent it," Mickey explained out loud.

"So the Heartless disappear from one world and appear in another," Yen Sid scratched his bearded chin. "I fear for the safety of the other worlds. We must make certain that their Keyholes are tightly sealed to prevent Heartless from appearing in them at all. I believe the best plan of action is to go to those at risk worlds. I trust all of you can make a plan of who goes where. Terra, Ventus, it appears you will need to fetch Master Aqua. Take her with you."

The route and team planning was not on Terra's mind as everyone else made their choices. Instead, his worry was growing. Aqua had never arrived like she said she would. He did not even realize that he had wandered out of the room until he heard Ven call for him.

"Sorry, I guess I was distracted," he told Ven.

"No biggie," Ven smiled. "I know you're worried about Aqua, but she'll be okay, I know it."

Terra was surprised by his friend's observation. He smiled and ruffled Ven's hair.

"When did you get to be so mature?" Terra asked.

"Come's with experience, I guess. I got the plans, so let's go pick up Aqua. Maybe she's

up to going this time."

Uncertainty left a mild fog over Terra's mind, but Ven's optimism helped shine a light on it. He nodded hopefully.

When they made it back to their home, Terra instantly knew something was wrong from the second he stepped into the house. Their kitchen chairs were knocked over across the room. The table had scratches that were not there before grooved into it. A large burn marked the stair railing.

"What the…" a lump caught in Terra's throat.

"Aqua!" Ven called. No answer.

Terra shot upstairs to her room. The door was knocked off its hinges. The curtains were shredded and clothes were strewn on the floor. Terra closed his mouth, realizing it was agape. He eyed something on Aqua's desk. A single piece of light blue paper, her choice stationary, lay on the only part of the room that resembled Aqua post chaos. Terra slowly walked over and picked up the paper.

Tera, Ven,

I have to go away for a little while. I am left with no choice. I am so sorry. I lo

The letter cut off.


	4. A Fluffy Departure

This chapter was not in my original draft of the story, but I figured it was a necessary inclusion. Besides, I'm sure everyone is in need of some fluff anyway.

Chapter 4

The note crumpled in Terra's fist. Before he even drew in another breath, he took off for the door, note still in hand. He leaped down the stairs and nearly made it out the house before Ven beat him to it.

"Move, Ven!" Terra made a pushing out of the way gesture. Ven shook his head as he stretched out his arms.

"What's gotten into you, Terra! We can't just take off, what about the plan?"

"Screw the plan! Aqua is out there somewhere, probably still sick! She needs us!"

"What good are we to her by blindly searching like this? We already have a plan, let's just follow it!"

A dark cloud swarmed in Terra's head as rage began to fill him. Instinct nearly took over as he began reaching for his friend to shove him aside. The only thing that stopped him was the terrified look on the boy's face as Terra extended his arm. The look in Ven's eyes brought him to his senses. Terra let his arm droop as he dropped his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Ven. I just…" Terra was unable to finish his sentence as his legs gave out, sending him on his knees to the cold floor. He felt his friend's warm hand rest on his shoulder.

"We have a plan, Terra. Everyone is going all over the place and will keep their eyes open for her too. I'll message everyone now."

Terra nodded slowly, letting the blond go around him to get the phone. Using the door for support, Terra stood up. He noticed Aqua's crumpled not had fallen to the floor at the foot of the stairs, still crumpled from his outburst. He picked it up and gingerly unrolled it. He read it over again carefully, hoping to find some sort of clue. All he could figure was that something had caused her to cut off. No clues as to where she could have vanished to. A sigh escaped Terra's lips. He carefully folded the note and placed it in his pocket as Ven reappeared.

"Okay, the search for Aqua is underway alongside our mission. We all agreed it'd be best to do both at the same time."

Ven pulled a piece of paper out to show Terra. It was a map of the worlds around them with different color lines forming trails through them.

"So, this red line here is Sora's group. They're supposed to be starting here," Ven pointed to a world labeled 'Agraba.' "The blue line is Mickey's group, over… here," the boy pointed to a world named 'Land of Dragons.' "And we are the green line, starting right here. I've never been to this world before."

"New England Town?" Terra read aloud. "Never even heard of it."

"Me neither, but it sounds nice. Maybe Aqua went there."

"Only one way to find out."

* * *

The ride to the new world was longer than Terra had expected. His concern for Aqua was the only reason he was not downright bored. He occasionally caught glances at Ven, who was holding out his Wayfinder as if it were a torch to light his way. Ven shoved it back into his pocket when he must have realized Terra saw him.

"I was kinda hoping it would show us the way to her," he explained, his tone full of disappointment.

Sympathy filled Terra. He knew Ven's emotional strength was weakening, but did not want to make things worse by letting him know that. Terra wrapped his hand around his own Wayfinder. A memory found its way into his head.

He had found Aqua alone in her room. She was sitting on the floor, her back to the door. Terra silently crouched down to her level behind her and placed his head on top of hers.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, noticing the pieces of stained glass and other craft materials that lay before her.

"Making Wayfinders for everyone. Did you know that the world Kairi and her friends are from is where Wayfinders come from?"

"Really?" Terra responded as he sat next to her.

Aqua nodded and help up a nearly completed charm. "Wanna help me make some? I'll show you how."

Terra looked at the charm, then down at the pieces. "I don't know if…"

"Please?"

Terra found himself unable to say no as he carefully picked up the last piece to Aqua's nearly completed craft and handed it to her. While she began explaining to him how to piece together the Wayfinder, Terra was watching Aqua rather than her demonstration. Her fingers were delicate, yet as focused as the look her face, with her mouth obviously struggling to keep her tongue from sticking out in concentration.

"There!" she said, holding out her work. She turned to face Terra. He had not even realized he was staring at her until she began to turn red when her eyes met his. Tension hung in the air like a fog. To alleviate it, Terra grabbed a few of the pieces on the floor.

"So, like this?" Terra began putting two of the pieces together, but instead of a snap, he heard a crack. He winced, revealing a bleeding cut on his finger. He heard Aqua lightly gasp.

"I'm okay, Aqua," but she was already up to fetch a bandage from her drawer. When she returned, she did seem to have a second thought as she began wrapping it around her finger. It was only when she finished that she appeared to acknowledge her actions and pulled back from playing nurse. Terra laughed as Aqua's face turned an even darker scarlet.

"I think making Wayfinders is more your thing than mine," Terra chuckled. A smile shined on Aqua's face as she joined in his amusement.


	5. New England Town

Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. I was in the hospital unable to write. Thankfully, I'm back and ready to continue this story!

Chapter 5

"There it is!"

Terra came back to his senses at Ven's outburst. The world appeared to be a sort of town that, despite having never been there, gave Terra a nostalgic feeling.

"It's so pretty," Ven remarked. "Do you think that…"

As they began to land, Terra was blinded by a shining white light. It became brighter the closer to the ground they got.

"Ter...ruff ruff!"

Confusion filled Terra's mind as Ven's voice changed to dog barks. But those barks changed.

"Woof! Woo…whoa! What's happening?" Ven gasped as Terra landed on all fours. "Terra! Look at you!"

Terra opened his eyes. The light had vanished, but now something much more unusual was visible. A Corgi with a scruffy haircut stood before Terra.

"Aw yeah! Talk about dreams coming true!" came Ven's voice from the stubby dog as he examined his paws. Terra looked down and startled himself. Paws had replaced his feet and hands.

"How did this happen?" Ven asked, still admiring himself.

"Must be magic," Terra was unsure of his answer, but Ven seemed convinced as he wagged his nonexistent tail.

"So I think I'm a Corgi and you must be a German Shepherd," Ven said. Terra hardly heard his friend's remark as he began taking in their surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a paved street that was lined with very homey looking houses. Streetlights were beginning to light up as the first signs of sunset were appearing. Everything seemed peaceful, like no bad could ever happen.

"No Heartless… C'mon, Ven, let's have a look around. Can you still summon your Keyblade?" Terra asked.

Ven nodded quickly as the weapon appeared in his jaws.

"Sthee?" Ven attempted to say. Terra chuckled at the try.

* * *

Their search of the town went on until it was past nightfall. Ultimately, their efforts felt futile, as the world seemed clean of darkness.

"So now what?" Ven asked. "Do we just leave?"

"Being around at night will tell us for sure if this world is safe or not," Terra said. "Besides, Aqua could be here. Stay alert."

Ven's face grew serious, as if to appear more menacing, as they continued on their way.

"Hey, look over there," Ven whispered after some time. Terra was about to get into a protective stance, but caught himself. All he was a gray mutt and a brown spaniel walking together further down the sidewalk. "I bet they're on a date!" the Corgi continued.

It appeared that way to Terra as well. Their closeness to each other as well as their gazes to each other could not have made it any more obvious. An internal sigh appeared in Terra's mind. He could see himself with Aqua in their place. He began to wonder what kind of dog she would be. Thoughts of her potential coat type entered in his head and he had to shake his head clear as he began to think of what it would be like to stroke her. Something fell beside him. Glancing over, Terra realized Ven had suddenly fallen asleep.

"Such a kid," Terra whispered a smile on his face. He grabbed Ven's neck scruff with his mouth as gently as he could and sat him down next to a tree. When he sat next to Ven, a wave of exhaustion hit Terra. Now he understood the blonds' tiredness. The day had been wearing them down both physically and emotionally. Figuring a nap would not hurt to recover his strength, he curled up and closed his eyes.

* * *

He was surrounded by pure darkness. Terra looked around, hoping to find someone or something. Nothing. He began walking for what felt like forever. Suddenly, a sparkle of blue appeared in the distance. Terra began running.

"Aqua!" he cried out, reaching his hand for her. She was holding something, but he could not make out what it was. She smiled as the darkness began to cloud her.

"No!" Terra cried out loud as he was jolted awake, panting like a dog with his tongue out.

"Terra! You're up!" Ven's voice called. Terra got up to see Ven behind bars. As he looked around, he realized he too was imprisoned. The cell was dark and surrounded by others just like it. He shivered as something wet touched his paw.

"Where are we?" Terra asked.

"That dog over there," Ven motioned to a sleeping Bulldog in his cell. "Says we're in the pound." The Corgi's ears drooped.

"We must have been picked up while we were asleep," Terra internally kicked himself. How could he have let this happen? His dream was fresh in his mind. For all he knew, that dream could be reality.

A door creaked open from down the hall. A man in a grubby uniform appeared, fiddling with keys. He stopped at the cell across from Ven's.

"Alright, Lady, time to go home," he said as he picked up a Spaniel. Terra immediately recognized her as one of the dogs from the previous night.

"Wow, I guess nobody is safe," Ven whispered. Terra said nothing as he watched her get carried out of the room. "Hm, I wonder…" Ven muttered as the guard shut the door. He unleashed his Keyblade before Terra could stop him. A few dogs around the room yelped in surprise.

"Ven! What happened to…" but Terra was cut short as he saw something move in the shadowy corner of his prison. Multiple black dogs with curly feelers for ears and yellow eyes rose from the darkness. Terra narrowed his eyes in focus as his Keyblade appeared in his fangs. As the canine shaped Heartless growled, Terra pushed with all fours at the creatures. Yelps and barks echoed across the room as the monsters began to emerge around the other inmates. Terra swung fast and hard as the enemies that were within his reach dissolved on contact. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ven's plan to slice through the bars work as his small friend joined in on the action. Blades shifted back and forth as the two Keyblade wielders fought back to back. Some of their freelance slashes took out the bars of the other cells and the newly released dogs were fleeing past them as the monsters were diminished.

"What the!" a man's voice called as the animals broke the door down. The last Heartless were following them.

"No you don't!" Terra shouted as he and Ven followed them out the door leading outside. It only took Terra one swing to finish them.

"Yeah!" Ven cheered.

"We're not in the clear yet, run!"

The two of them took off with the other dogs, but Terra suddenly stopped.

A blue Collie had taken off in the opposite direction.

Terra was frozen. Was that her? He ran for that dog's direction. He thought he heard Ven cry out for him, but he ignored it. He knew they could meet up later. His plan was foiled by a man who stepped in front of him with a net, poised to strike. The man, however, became distracted by the Corgi that just grabbed his pants leg.

"Let go you stupid!" the human shouted. Ven obeyed as he and Terra took off running. Terra could not help but look back.


	6. Continuing the Journey

A dialogue heavy chapter, but hopefully the fluff with make up for it.

"Man, this is so lame!" Lea leaned back into his seat. "Our first stop and not a single Heartless!"

"You want people to lose their hearts?" Riku raised an eyebrow.

"No! I just meant I wanted to see some progress. Some action would be nice, too," Lea retorted. Mickey came back from around the corner and sat in the chair across from them.

"It's good that there's no Heartless here, but it gives us no clues either," Mickey reminded them. "I guess we can call Land of Dragons safe, especially since we found the keyhole they would have gotten in from in that fountain. I'm going to check in with the others and see how they're doing."

Mickey pressed a few buttons on his Gummiphone to make a video conference.

"Hiya, your majesty!" Sora answered first. "Perfect timing! We just sealed the keyhole in Agraba."

"That's wonderful! Oh, hi, Terra!"

"Hello, Mickey," Terra's face appeared on the screen. "Ven and I are on schedule. We had to seal the keyhole in New England Town due to Heartless…"

"It was on Lady's collar! Can you believe…!"

Terra had to snatch the phone back from Ven. "So now we're at our second stop, Deep Jungle, now."

"So Heartless did appear in New England Town," Mickey scratched his head. "Sora, were there Heartless in Agraba?"

"Yeah, there were some, but we took care of them."

"Tell them what else we found!" Kairi's voice mumbled due to her distance.

"What else? Oh yeah, we found this," Sora held up something that made Terra's heart sink.

It was a braided lock of blue hair.

"A Heartless was fiddling with it," Kairi took the phone from Sora. "Terra, we're pretty sure she was here, but we never saw her."

Terra clenched his teeth.

"Could this be a clue?" Mickey wondered aloud. "Everyone, continue on your paths. We'll figure out what all this means soon enough."

"Right!" Sora reappeared. "And besides, this could be someone else's hair!"

"That's not helping, Sora," Goofy whispered. Terra agreed.

"Keep in touch, fellas," Mickey commanded.

"Right!" Sora saluted. His face disappeared, leaving a distraught Terra on Mickey's screen.

"Aqua is still out there. That Heartless did not have her," Mickey reminded him.

"Right, thanks, Mickey," Terra gave a small sad smile as he hung up.

"So… they found Aqua's hair?" Ven sat next to Terra on the jungle floor.

"Yeah, just a piece of it," Terra stood up. "C'mon, we have work to do."

As the two friends started through the thick vegetation, Terra began to fiddle with his longer strands of hair. A memory flashed within his mind at its touch.

* * *

"Aqua," Terra knocked on her open room door. "Are you ready? We're going to be late for…"

"I give up!" Aqua threw her hands in the air. She was sitting at her desk, her hair in disarray in a knotted mess.

"On what?" Terra asked. He stepped beside her as she stood from her desk.

"My hair! I can't get it to do right today!"

"Why not just braid it?"

"I don't know how," she attempted to stick her hands in her nonexistent pockets.

"I can do it for you if you want."

"You know how?" Aqua cocked her head.

"Sure, I had to help my mom with her hair sometimes when I was younger," Terra motioned for her to sit back down. Reluctantly, Aqua took a seat. She held back a sigh as Terra's rough hands went to work on her head. She hadn't had anyone touch her head in a long time.

"Got a hair tie close by?"

Aqua jumped slightly when Terra spoke up. Moving quickly, she grabbed the band from her desk.

"It's not very long," Terra said, trying to ignore her jump to not embarrass her. "But it should stay."

Aqua reached back to feel the small braid. An occasional hair stuck out from the short length, but she did not care.

"It's perfect, thank you," she rotated in her seat to face him. "You need to teach me sometime."

"You need to grow out your hair first," Terra chuckled.

"I'll make little ones to practice," she retorted.

"Alright, I'll teach you. But we're late, so let's get a move on."

"Thanks." With a smile on her face, Aqua nodded.


	7. Encounter

More author notes than usual, but here it goes: Another short chapter. In retrospect, it may have better to combine this chapter with the last, but oh well. I promise a longer chapter next time. Also, I am playing through KH3 and am loving it, but I don't know how much it will debunk some of this story. So, for the time being, I am choosing to mostly ignore III within To Fulfill a Prophecy. Finally, I'm happy to get in two chapters in one week!

Terra eyed over the map carefully. Surely they had more worlds left for them to go to. But this look over was exactly the same as the first and fifth; he and Ven only had two more worlds to check, including the one they had just landed on. The last eight months had flown by and not only were the Heartless still running rampant, but Aqua was still lost. The paper map crumpled in Terra's fist.

"Hey, we still need that," Ven snatched the paper from Terra's grip.

"I don't understand. We've searched everywhere. Where the hell could she have gone!" his fist slammed against the wall beside them. Ven jumped in surprise from the outburst.

"She can't be... gone, can she?"

Terra shook his head and started walking in silence. Ven tailed close behind.

"So... this place is called Twilight Town, right?" Ven asked. "Maybe Aqua is hiding out here. She's gotta be. I would pick this place if I was in hiding."

Terra did not respond. He knew Ven was trying to make him feel better, but the thought of Aqua being gone forever made his chest ache. He quickened his pace. Poor Ven was all but jogging to keep up with Terra's long strides.

"Augh, I never should have let her loose, I should have contained that woman when I had the chance!"

A voice came from around the corner of the building Terra and Ven were walking by. They froze before rounding the alley. Eyes wide, they looked to each other.

"That sounded like Sora," Ven whispered.

"But Sora doesn't talk like that," Terra softly responded. The two peeked from behind the corner. There, sitting on the rim of a fountain, was Sora's mirror image.

"Vanitas!" Terra had to cover Ven's mouth. The elder knew something important was happening as Heartless appeared before their enemy.

"Have you found her yet?" Vanitas questioned the dark beings. They shook their heads. "Well don't just stand there then! Keep looking!"

The Heartless vanished. Vanitas sighed.

"Heartless in nearly every world and yet they can't find one woman. The prophecy can't go through without her..."

Terra's eyebrows furrowed. More Heartless appeared, making Vanitas smile. Terra became even more uneasy.

"I take it that your appearance means that your team either is or is almost done with making the path to the Keyblade Graveyard?"

Terra heard Ven gasp. He silently shushed him to continue listening to Vanitas.

"Good work. The second the portal opens, look for the woman, Aqua, there. Her time is approaching, so she should be an easy catch. Go."

It was Terra's turn to take a sharp breath. He turned on his heels and took off running. Ven followed close behind.

"Terra, do you think that's where Aqua is?" Ven said quiet enough for Vanitas to not hear.

"I know so," Terra said as he pulled out both his Keyblade and the Gummiphone.

"But what did he mean when he said that 'Aqua's time is approaching?' and that she'd be easy to catch?" Ven pulled out his Keyblade. "Is something wrong with her?"

"I don't know. That's why we have to get there first."

Both the Keyblade wielders put on their armor and pushed off the ground to head for the paths between the worlds. When they reached stability, Terra dialed the video phone.

"Everyone," Terra said as the other's faces showed up. "I finally have news worth sharing."


	8. Reveal

Been looking forward to this chapter, since it finally answers what's up with Aqua. Hopefully the answer is satisfying!

Terra and Ven made their way straight to where the Keyblade Graveyard used to be and Vanitas ended up being right; the world seemed to have just vanished.

"Now what?" Ven asked.

Terra opened his mouth to answer, but felt something tingle in his pocket. Ven seemed to feel the same, as he too pulled out his Wayfinder. Terra and Ven both looked at each other, then back to their prized possessions. Aqua had made the Wayfinders many years ago for the two of them along with herself. Terra never went without his. The amulets began to shine and levitated from their palms. The lights burst to form a unified beam into the distance where the world once was. There was a blinding flash.

When the Keyblade wielders opened their eyes, the Graveyard appeared before them. Terra and Ven grabbed their Wayfinders from the air. Terra gripped his tight.

"Aqua, this was your doing, wasn't it?" Terra said softly.

"Who else would?" Ven said, his tone full of excitement as he pointed to the desolate world. "C'mon, let's go!"

The pounding inside Terra's heart grew stronger and stronger the closer he and Ven got to the ground. He had so many questions, but he did not care if they were answered as long as Aqua was safe. He gripped his shirt at his chest the second his armor came off.

"Nervous?" Ven asked, his armor disappearing.

Terra felt his face grow warm.

"It's okay, I'm nervous too," Ven smiled. "I mean, we haven't seen Aqua in months. But it's exciting too! I bet she's gonna be happy to see us."

Terra smiled. His friend was right. She was never unhappy to see them. However, his smile disappeared when he spotted a dust tornado in the distance. Was she really hiding in a lifeless place like this? Ven and Terra decided to head toward the field that was covered in lost blades first.

The darkness of night was beginning to approach as the first of the keys started appearing. The moon showing up over the horizon was full, providing some visibility. Dread was starting to find its way into Terra's heart as he remembered what had previously happened to them there. When he was possessed and his friends were nearly struck down. He prayed none of them had to experience something like that ever again. Ven left his side and ran ahead.

"Do you think she could be hiding in here?" Ven asked, peaking around a rusted blade.

"It doesn't look like it," Terra said, peering over the blades in his vicinity. Despite his own answer, Terra began walking through the fallen blades.

Clouds began to appear. As if they were commanded to do so, they began to cover the moon. Terra was beginning to lose his vision.

"We can't search for Aqua like this. We'll lose each other too," Terra put his hand on Ven's shoulder. "Let's camp against that wall over there."

"We should have brought blankets," Ven sighed, but obeyed. Getting as comfortable as one could leaning against a rock wall, Terra chuckled as he closed his eyes.

However, Terra did not actually fall asleep. The moonlight reappeared and, after making sure Ven was actually asleep, he got up and set off in search of Aqua. He kept the wall in his sight, believing Ven would be safer there. He could not stand to lose two friends. Terra kicked at the pebbles on the ground as he walked. He had made it to another wall of rock. The rocks appeared to have broken off of the wall and were beautiful shades of brown and red. A smile found its way to Terra's lips as he wondered if Aqua had tried to make something out of them.

A feeling of dizziness hit Terra like a bullet. He went to clench his head, but found himself unable to move. The rocks around him were spinning slowly in the air. He realized that he was no longer on the ground. An Aero spell. A cloud obscured the moon, clouding his vision alongside his turned around head.

"You shouldn't have come."

"Aq...ua?" Terra moaned. He barely managed a sigh. "You're okay..."

He heard Aqua turn to leave.

"No, please... Vanitas knows you're here..."

Aqua gasped. Terra's head began to defog.

"Let us help you. I don't know what's going on, but Ven and I are here for you. Why are you running away from us?"

Slowly, Terra was being lowered to the ground.

"I never wanted you or Ven involved with any of this."

"Any of what? Please, Aqua. The Heartless will be here before too long. Let us, no, let me help."

Aqua never turned around to face him.

"You can't help me, Terra. I have to do this alone."

"But why? Why can't I at least be involved?"

Aqua said nothing. She started walking.

"No, please!" Terra rushed forward to grip her shoulder. The moonlight reappeared and Terra could see the side of her face. Dirty and tear-stained, with bags under her eyes. He gripped her shoulder. She threw him off, but her eyes widened when she did so, because when she did, Terra knew. She tried to cover herself, but there was no hiding it. Everything became clear to Terra. The sickness, the hiding, what Vanitas meant when he said that her time was approaching, it all made sense.

Because Aqua was pregnant.


End file.
